Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 9 Oct 2002

Vol. 554 No. 5

Written Answers. - Consultancy Contracts.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

881 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the amount of funding for consultant and related study contracts which has been approved as part of the 2002 departmental Estimates and the budgets in each organisation and agency falling within his Department's aegis for this type of work; the degree of cutback compared to 2001; the consultancy projects which have been cancelled or postponed as a consequence of the cutbacks; the capital projects which will be postponed as a consequence of the cutback in consultancy budgets; the consultancy projects under consideration with his Department and its agencies which will be funded in 2002. [17182/02]

Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (Mr. O'Donoghue):

The 2002 departmental Estimates were agreed on the basis of my Department's former configuration as the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation. The amount of funding for consultancy and related study contracts which was approved as part of the 2002 departmental Estimates for the former Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation is €1.504 million which does not represent a cutback on the 2001 Estimate. This is broken down as follows: IT consultancy services, €75,000; other consultancy services, €439,000; and the drugs initiative, €990,000. The provision for consultancy and related study contracts by the agencies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for the agencies themselves. There are no plans to cancel or postpone consultancy or capital projects as a consequence of cutbacks.